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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · pop · date · cell · scale · mark · rest · present

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — music
  3. cell — a phone
  4. scale — in music
  5. present — there
  6. pop — to visit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cell — in biology
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — soda
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. key — in music
  22. present — the time now
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com